I sent out three and landed two interviews. It definitely depends on school, and, perhaps as importantly, market.

Honestly, I think you guys are being over-optimistic about this guy's chances of landing a big firm through NALP and such, at a T2, in this economy. I would go for personal connections. These firms get literally hundreds of resumes. What special reason to they have to hire him?

What about targeting soft IP places? You have a good copyright background, I'm sure.

Honestly, I think you guys are being over-optimistic about this guy's chances of landing a big firm through NALP and such, at a T2, in this economy. I would go for personal connections. These firms get literally hundreds of resumes. What special reason to they have to hire him?

This is very true, IMO. OP should not waste time on biglaw or NALP firms unless he/she gets stellar grades or a personal connection.

I go to a T2, and only a few people (in the top 5% of the class) landed biglaw for 1L summer.

Another "pitfall" = wasting time on biglaw applications. I spent many precious hours in November/December researching firms, visiting websites, and writing personalized cover letters to about 50 NALP firms. Waste of time because I was not at T14.

I am fairly worried about grades and getting invited back. The firm that interviewed me, thus far, is a boutique, and everyone there was LR/top school. I'm working my ass off to get as high up as possible. In fact, I'm outlining right now, and I don't plan to go home for the break -- that's how desperate I am to do well IN THIS ECONOMY.

If the firm doesn't offer me, I'll probably be an RA and stay in Hyde Park this summer. We'll see.

Again, my interviews were from firms in a very small, very niche secondary market. I didn't even bother with the Kirklands and Skaddens of the world.

Considering civil-law is pretty useless outside Louisiana and the reality that most large cases end up in federal court, you can't really justify Tulane over a top school no matter where you want to practice.